About Hearing Loss

Approximately 28 million Americans are estimated to have some type of hearing impairment. Hearing loss affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. Among older people, it is the most common health problem, second only to arthritis.

There are many causes of hearing loss. In many cases, hearing loss happens gradually and generally worsens with age. Hearing loss caused by aging is known as presbycusis. Disease, infection, heredity, head trauma, exposure to loud noise and certain medications may also cause hearing loss. In some cases, the cause of hearing loss is unknown.


Types of hearing loss

• Sensorineural hearing loss:
  Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by inner ear damage. Sometimes referred to as "nerve losses", these comprise 95% of all hearing losses. Some causes include presbycusis/aging, noise exposure, heredity, viral infection to the brain such as meningitis, and in rare cases, ototoxic medications. Although there is no cure for sensorineural hearing loss, advances in hearing aid technology can help the vast majority of people with this type of hearing problem.
  
  

• Conductive hearing loss:
  When sound transmission through the outer or middle ears is prevented or impaired, this is known as a conductive hearing loss. Some causes of conductive hearing losses are obstruction of the ear canal by impacted earwax, head trauma affecting the middle ear bones, perforation of the eardrum, fluid build up in the middle ear, and otosclerosis (a stiffening of the middle ear bones). About 5% of hearing losses are conductive in nature, and many can be treated medically.
  
  

• Mixed hearing loss:
  A mixed hearing loss is one that has both sensorineural and conductive components.
  
  

• A word about tinnitus:
  The word tinnitus comes from the Latin word for ringing. Tinnitus is a sound in the ear such as a ringing, buzzing, whistling or chirping - without the presence of an external sound. Approximately 10 million people in the United States are estimated to have tinnitus, and one in four people will experience it at least once in their lifetime. Tinnitus may be caused by exposure to a loud noise, and often will subside soon after the incident. The cause of tinnitus may be as simple as a build-up of earwax. Tinnitus may also be caused by an underlying medical condition such as a tumor growing on or near the auditory nerve. In some cases, treating the underlying condition will resolve the tinnitus. If tinnitus remains after treatment or is not caused by an underlying medical condition, there are non-medical solutions available for chronic tinnitus sufferers. In approximately half of all cases, tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss. With the onset of acute tinnitus (less than 3 months), especially when accompanied by hearing loss, a doctor should be consulted. In cases where hearing loss is also present, tinnitus often improves when a hearing instrument is properly fitted.
  
  

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